Paradigm Shift In Transportation

That good old new transportation paradigm is getting an elevation in profile.

Charles Gauthier, DVBIA

TransLink, Modo, Evo and Mobi have formed a partnership around providing easier management of a multi-modal life.

It remains to be seen exactly how transit and mobility sharing services by various operators can be bundled, but Desmond told Daily Hive in a recent interview he envisions the launch of a new app that enables customers to plan, pay, and get information about a trip in a coherent, single platform. This could potentially be as extensive as transit, bike share, car share, and even taxi and rideshare services under the umbrella of one app.

Price Tags has written extensively about this type of business model, calling it “Mobility as a Service“.

I’ve been predicting the arrival of the TSP – a single provider of transportation services, rather like a Shaw or Telus offering a suite of communications options, from cellphone to cable TV. In the case of a Transportation Service Provider, a single monthly bill will give you information and access to all forms of transit, train, car- and bikeshare, rentals, pre-paid tolls, road pricing charges, parking and maybe even maintenance for your increasingly less-needed private car and bike.

A few entrepreneurs have already made forays into this space in Vancouver. The big difference to these is that the TransLink partnership will incorporate payment for services.

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Comments

He looks incredibly awkward on this bike: knee almost banging the handlebar; arch of his foot pushing down on the pedal instead of the ball; slippery dress shoes; ridiculous helmet that doesn’t block sun or rain, or keep the head warm; a jacket that makes no sense whatever for cycling … a poster child for how not to bike … an accident waiting to happen.
I cycled today from Vancouver to Edmonds and back for shopping; about 20 kms; perfect day for it. Encountered maybe four other cyclists, none of whom could have carried anything without wearing a backpack.
Why don’t more people cycle? Wrong bikes; ill-equipped.
Stopped in my tracks at the sight of a Santa Cruz mountain bike on Fraser St; on the back of an Audi SUV. That bike was useless for anything except being driven up a mountain, to careen down again. This is a bike that cost well over 10K. Ridiculous. A toy.

Of course, partnerships and collaboration sound promising. Yes, let’s be more efficient and innovative in the “supply” of transportation. Seriously, kukos for that.
Meanwhile, at the New Mobility Forum where this was announced, there was not a single mention by any presenter or panelist about the future of transportation DEMAND management. No discussion about the role/potential of interacting with employers to help shorten/green their employees’ commutes and reduce congestion; no discussion about interacting with commercial transportation people on how they can help reduce congestion.
Have abortive efforts to introduce mobility/congestion pricing sucked all the oxygen out of ANY enthusiasm for any other transportation demand management strategies? Imagine involving all large employers in a region-wide initiative to shorten/green their employees’ commutes. Imagine also introducing pay-as-you-drive insurance. These two strategies would cost peanuts to implement, yet could reduce single-occupancy vehicle kilometres travelled by 10% to 15%, and chop 2% to 3% off BC’s carbon emissions… These TDM strategies aren’t punitive (like higher fuel taxes, congestion pricing or higher parking fees) and would boost the regional economy, so would likely be very popular – with politicians, employers, agencies, and commuters themselves. Shall we get started right away on implementing the transportation demand management components of our new mobility future?